Derbyshire Council Takes the Road to Better Mobile Coverage

Derbyshire County Council have said they will be using bin lorries to find the worst mobile signal spots in the area.

In a first for the county, the County Council will be working with refuse teams from neighbouring district and borough councils to locate the weakest areas for mobile phone signals.

Bin lorries will be fitted with mobile signal testing devices during bin collections, with the data mapped to improve coverage in worst-affected spots.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, was optimistic about the scheme.

“We’re working hard with government and partners to bring better broadband to homes and businesses, but what about when we step outside?” She said.

“Too many people in Derbyshire find themselves in signal dead zones, where making a call or loading a webpage is just to slow for modern day living.

“We all rely on mobile connectivity for everyday life – whether it’s checking emails, online banking, following a map, or just trying to load a video on social media. Even smart meters, transport management and card payments need strong mobile signals.

“That’s why, with the help of our district and borough councils, we’re turning bin lorries into signal scouts. As they make their rounds, they’ll help us pinpoint where connectivity is rubbish – so we can lobby and help mobile networks clean up their act.”

The project will be funded by the Digital Derbyshire programme, which aims to make Derbyshire more digitally inclusive by improving access to the internet within the local community.

The mobile mapping specialist Streetwave has been asked to coordinate the programme, with data collection set to be carried out over the next three months.

Signal strength will be measured for the UK’s top 4 mobile networks – Three, Vodafone, EE, and O2 – to make a countywide signal map, which will be used by the council to push for better connectivity among providers.

Once the data has been collected, residents will be able to view their details and see how their connectivity ranks compared to others in the area to see whether they have the best coverage for their needs.